The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has published a joint statement from the UK, the European Commission, Spain and Gibraltar following the second meeting between the parties on 16 May 2024 in Brussels. In the statement, the parties said that the meeting ‘reaffirmed their shared commitment to concluding an EU-UK Agreement’ and that the parties agreed to remain in close and constant contact.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has published the UK’s national speech delivered by its Cyber Director, Andrew Whittaker, at the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi. The UK formally signed the Convention, reaffirming its commitment to international cooperation in addressing cybercrime. The speech outlined the UK’s strategic aim to reduce cybercrime risks by 2030 and emphasised the need for a coordinated global response involving governments, law enforcement, civil society, and the private sector. It also made clear that the UK will only engage with States that uphold the Convention’s human rights safeguards, which are considered essential for building trust and enabling effective collaboration.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), along with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), has published supplementary guidance on International Climate Finance (ICF) results reporting. The document provides technical guidance on accounting for additionality and attribution in ICF reporting and is intended to be read alongside existing ICF key performance indicator (KPI) methodologies. In addition, four new KPI methodologies have been published, covering climate change adaptation, clean energy access, climate resilience and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated the Mali (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/705 guidance and the Counter-Terrorism (International Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, 2019/573 guidance. Both were updated to include references to the director disqualification measure.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has released a statement following the Court of Appeal decision in Mints & others v PJSC National Bank Trust & another [2023] EWCA Civ 1132. The government is considering the impact of the court’s finding that PJSC National Bank Trust is deemed to be controlled by designated persons on account of their political office. The FCDO designates a public body when designating a public official if the FCDO finds that that the official was exercising control over the public body. The government is now exploring options to further clarify this position but notes that the case was not decided on this issue.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has reported that the UK government, coordinated with the US government, have imposed several sanctions against those who support, enable or deliver work of the Houthis. The Houthis are an Iran-backed proxy group in Yemen who are responsible for the attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has reported that the UK, EU and Canada have announced further sanctions targeting the Myanmar military regime and its access to military material equipment and funds. The sanctions target entities which supply aviation fuel and equipment to the Myanmar military. This follows the highest number of recorded airstrikes by the Myanmar military in August 2024 which killed many civilians.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has reported that ten vessels have been sanctioned in Russia's 'shadow fleet'. The 'shadow fleet' is a group of ships using illegal practices to avoid UK and G7 sanctions on Russian oil. This is the third time that the UK has utilised its special powers to sanction individual vessels. FCDO has confirmed that the sanctioned ships will not be able to enter UK ports and will also be denied access to the UK Ship Register.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has reported on the fourth Republic of Korea (ROK)-United Kingdom (UK) cyber dialogue that was held in London on 6 November 2024. The meeting brought together 50 officials from both nations to discuss key cybersecurity issues. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating state-backed cyber threats, reaffirming their commitment to holding perpetrators accountable and deterring future incidents through collective action. The cyber threats that emanate from North Korea, Russia and China were also recognised.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has imposed asset freezes and travel bans on four Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanders, including Deputy Leader Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, over suspected mass killings and sexual violence in El Fasher, Sudan. The UK announced an additional £21m humanitarian aid package and indicated it is exploring further sanctions while providing technical support to international justice mechanisms.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States on critical minerals supply chain security, executed in Washington DC on 4 February 2026. The agreement establishes cooperative commitments to accelerate secure supply of critical minerals and rare earths necessary for defence and advanced technology manufacturing. Key provisions include joint identification of critical mineral projects, coordinated government financing support, streamlined permitting processes within domestic regulatory systems, and establishment of a Mining, Minerals and Metals Investment Ministerial within 180 days. The participants commit to using existing legislative and diplomatic tools to review and restrict critical minerals asset sales on national security grounds, while supporting recycling technology and geological mapping cooperation. The MoU explicitly states it does not create legally binding obligations under domestic or international law and either party may discontinue participation with 30 days' written notice. This agreement supplements the UK's Critical Minerals Strategy published in November 2025, which was backed by £50m funding, and adds to existing bilateral agreements with Australia and Canada.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) announced on 20 August 2025 new sanctions targeting Russia's sanctions evasion networks in Kyrgyzstan. The measures target Capital Bank of Central Asia and its director Kantemir Chalbayev, along with cryptocurrency exchanges Grinex and Meer, which operate the rouble-backed A7A5 token that has processed $US 9.3bn in four months. The action, which builds on existing UK sanctions against Russia, follows similar US measures and includes eight new designations. The sanctions aim to prevent Russia from using Kyrgyz financial systems and cryptocurrency networks to circumvent western restrictions. This forms part of coordinated international efforts with US-led talks ongoing to secure peace in Ukraine.